PAGES

Monday, June 25, 2012

Record Brook Trout caught at Lake of the Ozarks

Unofficial Record Brook Trout caught at Lake of the Ozarks.

Brook Trout you ask? A week or so ago a fisheries biologist friend of mine sent me a photograph of three brook trout that were reportedly to have been caught at Lake of the Ozarks. The photographs came from a 13 year old kids that wanted to know if he had caught the official state record. Only problem is…He had ate the fish. The young fisherman just shrugged his shoulders and said “no problem I’ll just go and catch another.”

Not knowing that Brook Trout existed in Missouri and thinking it might be a hoax I did the first thing I always do when I have a trout question. I forwarded the photo to Mark Van Patten. Low and behold a small trout park on the Gravois Arm of Lake of the Ozarks dabbled in raising Brook Trout many years ago. While none were reported to have escaped, it seems like there might be a few that made the break and survived. With the drought and low lake levels Mark believes that the Brooks are trying to stay in the cooler water.

Today I get a phone call from my fisheries biologist friend. The young man brought in what will ultimately be the new state record 1 pound 13 ounce Brook Trout. Congrats to him.